


How To Fall In Love

by sleeplessthrills



Category: 15& (Band), 방탄소년단 | Bangtan Boys | BTS
Genre: Budding Love, F/M, Gen, Male-Female Friendship
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-03-31
Updated: 2017-03-30
Packaged: 2018-10-13 03:57:35
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,010
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10505895
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sleeplessthrills/pseuds/sleeplessthrills
Summary: Two friends. Thirty-six questions.





	1. Preface

**Author's Note:**

> Based on a NYT article.

She didn't know what she was getting herself into when she agreed to this. Namjoon came up to her one afternoon while she was walking back from class. It was one of those gigantic lecture hall of a class with over a hundred people, and she was exhausted. Being with too many people exhausts her. But he appeared in front of her, dimples and all, and she couldn't say no to his bizzare request. It wasn't the first time he's ever asked her to do something completely out of her comfort zone and while she doesn't always agree, there were times when she said yes just to make him happy. Once, he asked her to go with him to this underground hip hop club and even though she never stepped foot in one again, she was content enough with the Americanos she bought him for the rest of that week.

"Where did you even find this?" she asked as he whisked her to DiALOGUÉ, a little coffee shop joint that they frequented. They're known for, ironically, their teas instead of their coffee. But the cozy couches and tables make it a favourite for those who likes to hang out and chat. "Yoongi-ya!" Namjoon greeted the barista who nodded with a smile. They found their favourite nook empty and settled on the comfortably cushioned chairs. "Noonaaa~" a voice rang from the back of the room and she couldn't help but to laugh. "Kook-ah. Do I not exist anymore?" Namjoon grumbled as the young barista greeted her to a side hug. She giggled, easing into the familiar atmosphere. Beyond the tea and the comfy pillows, this was probably why she kept coming back to DiALOGUÉ. Thanks to Namjoon, everyone practically knows her here and they've all become a little family. For someone so uncomfortable by so many things, little comforts like this became her anchor.

After confirming to Jungkook that yes, they would like their usual order ("Honey vanilla chamomile and black, coming right up. Seriously though, why don't you guys try our coffee? We're a coffee shop you know..."), she leaned back as she watched him open his bag and produce a sheet of paper. "What is that?" she asked as he carefully smoothen the crumpled paper on the table. He looked up, his dimples and mischevious expression on his face, "I read a study that people can fall in love by answering 36 questions."

"What?"

"Interesting, right?" he wiggled his eyebrows before sitting up straight and leaning forward, "Let's test it!"

"What?!"

"Come on. It sounds like a rubbish study anyway. So let's try it!" he sounded excited.

He had told her that he had something really cool to show her, but she didn't expect him to ask her for this. It sounded harmless but there was a part of her that was worried. 'What if it actually does work?' she wondered to herself, biting her lips.

"It's just 36 questions. It'll be over before you know it," he continued. He could sense her hesitation. In the years that he's known her, he's become all too familiar with all her ticks - which is most things. When they first met in high school, he remembered how quiet she was and how hard it was to get her to smile. It was initially some sort of game for him - how many times can he make her laugh in a week or how many words he can get her to say that day. But they quickly found themselves forging an unexpected bond. He likes to push her to try new things and her calmness became the stability in his hectic life.

"Remember your resolution for this year? You said you want to try things before saying no," he reminded her when he saw the increasing worry painted on her face. She couldn't lie and say that she wasn't intrigued. His dimples and that gleam of utter excitement certainly didn't help.

"Alright."


	2. 001

"Question one: Given the choice of anyone in the world, whom would you want as a dinner guest?" he began.

She needlessly stirred her tea, thinking for a while.

"You go first," she leaned back.

He placed his elbows on the table with a knowing smile, "Nabokov."

She scrunched her forehead, "They don't have to be alive?"

"It doesn't say anything about the person being dead or alive," he answered. "Why Nabokov, though? He gives me the creeps," she commented, truly intrigued by his answer but also shuddering at Lolita, a book she didn't enjoy reading but was forced to read because Namjoon wanted someone to read it with. They took turns reading the chapter to one another as they sat in that very coffee shop.

"I know you hated it but Lolita is a masterpiece. I want to ask him how living with that cognitive dissonance was like, knowing she was off-limits but also being in love with her so fiercely at the same time," he explained.

She scoffed, "I doubt he experienced any dilemma in that relationship."

"I think he did. He said that he loved her but he knew she couldn't be his Lolita forever."

"The way he objectifies her... I mean, he called her the fire in his loins. I'm not sure how that could ever be perceived as sweet or romantic," she argued.

He snapped his finger with a smile, "That's why. That's why I want to have dinner with him. I want to pick his brain."

She shook her head. Kim Namjoon is certainly one of a kind. She remembered how shocked she was that he wanted to major in Literature. Who would've expected that this fireball of energy would choose to study something so... calm?

"What about you? Who do you want to have dinner with?" he asked before taking a sip of his earl grey. She looked up wistfully for a while before finally answering, "Amy Winehouse."

"I knew it!" Namjoon exclaimed happily.

She laughed.

"Your obsession with her is getting scary, Yerin-ah," he said after a moment, "Pick a rolemodel who's not dead of drug overdose, won't you?"

She only laughed at his concern, but he actually does worry at the extent of her introvertedness. She rarely opens up to others - sometimes it takes much prodding for her to talk to him. But he knew that she just wasn't comfortable in talking about her emotions. "Emotions confuse me," she admitted once, "It's suffocating." He could relate. As someone who expresses his emotions freely, he understood how overwhelming it could be to feel so many things at once. 'Maybe that's why she prefers being alone,' he concluded one evening when they studied together in companionable silence at DiALOGUÉ. She was reading her Art History textbook while he was trying (and failing miserably) to finish his analysis on Hawthorne's The Scarlett Letter. She didn't say much when she arrived and by the grip of her pen, he could tell that she didn't have a good day so he didn't press on - letting the evening go without many words. But even so, he still worries. He worries that she's keeping too much inside and he hopes that one day, she'll be completely open.

"What?" she asked when she caught him staring at her for too long.

He smiled. _'One day, Baek Yerin. One day...'_ he said to himself before shaking his head and returning to the question list, "Would you like to be famous? In what way?"

She rolled her eyes, "You don't need to answer this question," earning a chuckle from her blonde-haired friend. It was no secret that Namjoon wants to be famous. He loves being the centre of attention, whether it be in class when he answers questions or when he goes to poetry slams and perform one of his work - it doesn't matter. Kim Namjoon loves being loved and adored by many.

"Then you answer this question, then," he nodded.

She hummed to herself for a few moments before answering, "I do."

Namjoon's eyes widened for a split second, genuinely surprised at her answered.

"But not in the way that you want to be famous," she quickly clarified, "I guess I just want people to remember me. Wouldn't it be sad if my funeral is only attended by my family and you?" she chuckled to herself.

"It won't. Jungkook will come," he chimed along, "Won't you Jungkook-ah?" he called out to the barista who was idly playing his phone behind the counter. "Huh? What?" the young barista asked, confused. "If she dies, you'd come to her funeral, right?" Namjoon could immediately see the effect of his question as he saw Jungkook's expression change to worry, "Why? Is she dying?" his voice went a few pitches higher, "Are you dying, noona?" he pressed further.

Yerin shook her head as Namjoon laughed, "You're horrible," she reprimanded him, "No, I'm not dying," she smiled to Jungkook who looked unconvinced. "I'm not!" she said again, this time not able to contain her smile. It took a few more convincing before the baby-faced barista finally relented and returned to work.

"You're horrible," she gave him a pointed look while he flashed his dimpley grin. "You need to not be so morbid, my dear," he responded before finishing his drink.

"You should answer anyway," Yerin prompted.

"What?"

She gestured towards the paper in front of him, "The question. Answer the question anyway, even though I already know the answer."

"Well, as you know, I would like to be famous," he grinned, "But I'm not sure about the exact way."

"What do you you mean?"

"I don't know how or what I want to be known for. I want people to hear my poem and I want them to hear me sing and I just want to be heard but I'm not sure how much I want people to know about me," his gaze landed on her attentive eyes. He knew that he wasn't making any sense but he could see her nodding in understanding.

 

//

 

"Before making a phone call, do you ever rehearse what you are going to say?"

They were both walking towards the train station one day after class. It was late in the afternoon and the Fall wind was blowing a little harder than normal. It had been a few days since their last hang out at DiALOGUÉ. She thought that he would forget about this little experiment, given his short attention span so she was surprised when he took out that familiar crumpled piece of paper out of his back pocket.

"I do," she answered after a few moments.

"Seriously?"

She nodded.

"Why?"

"I just... I get nervous when I talk on the phone. I can't edit myself," she shrugged.

He nodded. "Wait, do you do that when you talk to me on the phone?" he piped up, stopping in his tracks.

"Sometimes..."

"Huh..." he took in the information, unsure of why he felt a little taken aback at her answer.

"How about you?" she asked, stepping into the train and standing by the corner, while he follows suit, leaning on the railing next to her. She pulled the bottom edges of her oversized button down that was tucked into her black ripped jeans. Her eyes travelled from her sneakers and up to Namjoon who was sporting a black t-shirt over black baggy shorts with a beanie. She never understood his sense of style, especially in this chilly weather. She was just about to tease him about his clothes when he answered, "No, I don't think so," he shrugged.

Now it was her turn to nod.

If anyone asks her what she envies the most in this world, then it would be Namjoon's self-assurance. From the moment she met him, she knew him to be confident and unwavering, never taking a second to make a decision. And she couldn't fathom what it would feel like to live in a world where doubt is minimal - or nonexistent, even.

"What?" he asked when he caught her staring.

She shook her head, "You're gonna catch a cold."


End file.
